Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries): Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) was 63.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 63.1%.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 65.3% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 51.3%, in 1970.
That places Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 7th out of 33 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 53.8% | — |
| 1970 | 51.3% | -4.6% |
| 1980 | 54.3% | +5.7% |
| 1985 | 56.4% | +3.9% |
| 1987 | 58.0% | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 59.0% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 60.8% | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 58.4% | -3.8% |
| 1991 | 60.8% | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 63.2% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 63.0% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 64.6% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 64.8% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 64.9% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 63.7% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 64.6% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 64.1% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 64.9% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 65.0% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 65.3% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 64.3% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 64.9% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 65.0% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 64.3% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 63.8% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 63.7% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 63.4% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 63.8% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 63.7% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 63.8% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 63.8% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 64.1% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 59.6% | -6.9% |
| 2021 | 62.6% | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 63.3% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 63.4% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 63.3% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 63.1% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.8% | 53.8% | 53.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 51.3% | 51.3% | 51.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 57.7% | 54.3% | 60.8% | 5 |
| 1990s | 62.8% | 58.4% | 64.9% | 7 |
| 2000s | 64.6% | 63.7% | 65.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 63.8% | 63.4% | 64.3% | 9 |
| 2020s | 62.5% | 59.6% | 63.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 4 Bermuda 84.0% compare
- 5 Faroe Islands 82.9% compare
- 6 Cayman Islands 82.8% compare
- 7 Nigeria 81.5% compare
- 8 United Arab Emirates 81.4% compare
- 9 Cambodia 80.0% compare
- 10 Niger 79.6% compare
More work & labour data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 39.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 55.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 69.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.8% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 69.3% (2025)
All data for Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) was 63.1% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 65.3% in 2006.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) recorded in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.3% in 1970.
- How does Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+)?
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th out of 33 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) rising or falling in Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.